Battlescar
by DaydreamingOnPaper
Summary: After a gruesome victory, Hiccup hasty help Astrid get back on her feet again. Short-ish, small amounts of Hiccstrid (I guess?). Happy ending, more or less...enjoy, comment (good and bad both appreciated), and make sure to send any requests :-) Thanks, from Daydreaming
1. Relief

Hiccup's eyes fogged with tears as he ran to his girlfriend Astrid's limp form, shrouded in smoke and ash. Two years had passed since Berk faced Drago, and the young chief had been convinced that Vikings and their dragons would be at peace for years to come. Oh, how he was wrong.

Many small scale wars had broken out while Berk was considered in a weak state. Of course Astrid would get involved, being as stoic as she was. But why hadn't he stopped her? They had gotten their victory, though at a major cost. Hiccup blindly fell to his knees and placed a quick kiss on her forehead. As he willed for her to wake up, he didn't notice Gobber come up behind and survey the scene.

Anguished sobs filled the air all around, accompanying Hiccup's silent tears, as people crowded nearby. He wanted so badly for her to give him a sign, any sign, that he almost felt her breathe slowly begin again. No, there was no mistake. Hiccup let out a relieved laugh as he looked up to meet Gobber's eyes.

The man returned a solemn expression and gestured quickly for the chief to have a second look.

"No.." was all he could muster.

"Better than nothin', I s'ppose" Gobber's face was uncharacteristically tired, as he slowly helped Hiccup pick up the girl to take to Gothi. Shock mixed with worry in Hiccup's eyes as he guarded Astrid from prying eyes. He felt as though every eye further drained the blood from her wounds.

"C'mon, bud..." he called to Toothless, and away they went towards the healer's shack on the hill.


	2. Healing

Astrid woke up soon. Well, at least sooner than Hiccup had when it was him who'd lost a limb. Being thable fighter she was, though, she was much tougher to break.

That was why it hurt the chief to watch as she sat up in the middle of the day, only to tear up at the sight of her missing arm. Hiccup comforted Astrid, and explained to her the morbid events, such still fresh in his memory. She could not wrap her head around the story, and so she hid the stub of her arm from Hiccup. The girl embraced him in a soggy, one-armed hug as she talked through all her fears and asked him what to do.

"It's a part of you, now...if you try to hide from it, you'll only be lying to yourself," he repeated the words Gobber had once told him, but when facing a similar struggle.

"Babe, I c-can still fe-el it," Astrid choked through heavy sobs. "There is a-an itch-h on my ha-and."

Hiccup kept his eyes from wandering to the bottom half of her missing left arm. If he wanted to convince her it was just a part of her, he'd have to treat it as such. He explained phantom pains to her as he reached for her prosthetic, made customly by himself.

"Remember what you always tried to tell me? That an axe was just an extension of yourself? Same rules apply here..."

Astrid turned away, not yet willing to accept her reality. She didn't return her gaze until she heard a click, and the sound of fabric being pulled away.

The chief was removing his foot. She had never seen the missing leg, the sight being shielded from her by large men trying to rush to the young boy's aid. She'd always been afraid to ask afterwards, the subject being a tense one; he had accepted his prosthetic, but not what lied beneath. Yet now here he was removing it to show her.

It was a bitter sight. Astrid couldn't help but stare at the mangled area. Hers was nowhere near as disturbed, being removed by a saw later on. The chief had major burns, as well as claw-shaped scars from where Toothless had removed the piece of shin. Had the dragon delayed, the limb would have never healed properly, and Hiccup wouldn't be alive.

"You'll be alright, I swear." His words brought her back from the images swirling about her head.

"I guess it's only fun if you get a scar out of it..." a shadow of her teenaged self filled her eyes, "...but only if it's a cool one like this, not ugly like yours!"

Astrid teased the chief as he stared at her, laughing.

"Mine at least has a cool story," he retaliated, pulling faces. She socked his arm.

"That's for being all philosophical when you should've just pulled jokes from the start," she laughed. Then, kissing him sweetly she said, "...and that's for everything else."

Together they walked out, as Hiccup promised to get a phantom ring for her to wear on her phantom hand, and that her lover her no matter how many limbs they lost between the two of 'em.

(Hope you enjoyed, please remember to leave constructive comments and criticism. I don't own the characters in any way, shape, or form. Please don't sue or anything since I'm not writing this for monetary reasons.

Sorry for the kinda gushy stuff, but oh well! Make sure to leave recommendations and I'd be more than happy to oblige.

Bye! - Daydreaming)


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